Wouldn't you know it. Middle of August in Wisconsin and the AC goes out. I am rather handy, but have never worked on vehicle AC's. What are some ideas to check on before taking to the dealer? Can I just try recharging?

Avoid the dealer as you'll get raped. Find a good Indy for diagnosis and repair. It can be as simple as recharge or fixing a leak all the way upto entire ac system overhaul.

I recall some reports of road debris puncturing the A/C cooler. I'd check there for any obvious damage.

Condenser is VERY vulnerable to rock damage - that is how I lost mine. Look at the bottom of your condenser and it will be wet with compressor oil if you took a rock. Even if you did not, it is a good idea to protect your condenser by installing some gutter guard screen secured with zip ties. Easy and cheap to do and it will look good if you take your time.

PS I was very disappointed in the quality of Denso condensers. I had to return the first one and the second wasn't much better. Both were made in Brazil. Denso parts made outside Japan are not that great IMHO.

So you just joined the ranks of International Space Station crew.

I think I saw a post about getting to diagnostic mode for the AC.
As suggested do visual. Keep in mind that there is a safety cut out that checks for low pressure and de-clutches the compressor. Under normal conditions the secondary cooling fan comes on when AC is running.

Post what you find out and we will go form there. Just be careful about re-charge kits. You may be tempted to get one but but it can be a waste of money if the problem is elsewhere. [If you do buy one, get the one with a trigger. The valve on the can is counter intuitive.]

Salim

Use the little glass eye in the very front as soon as you open you hood to see what is going on. I had the same problem with my a/c (blew out luke warm). If the lens eye is fogged, you are out of R-134a, if it's not fogged, but when you turn your a/c on you see clouds so to say or what looks like bubbles or water whooshing (yes I know very kindergarteny of me) around (which is actually Freon) you are low on R-134a. If you don't see anything and it looks clear while the a/c is on full force you may either be full or completely empty. Best thing to do is get a gauge (you can get them at Wally World for 10 bucks) (one which is color coded) attach it to a can of R-134a. Don't puncture the can, but make sure the gauge is attached firmly to the top of the can. Next, connect the gauge to the low side connector which is on the back of the radiator side near the horn. Turn the car on and see where the gauge reads ( you have to keep the a/c on full blast and run the car for a few minutes to get an accurate reading). If its reading low add some Freon (hold the can upright and open the valve slowly slowly moving the can from a complete upright position to about a 45 degree angle) watch the glass eye while doing this and when the wooshing stops stop adding Freon, you are full and keep the gauge in the green area (30-40 range). If you hear the compressor kicking on and off you probably added too much and you can easily let some out by loosining the gauge off the low side. Be careful some Freon will spray out RAPIDLY it's under a lot of pressure, but only let a tiny bit out and quickly re-attach the gauge and see where it reads. If you stay in the green zone on the gauge you are good to go, the A/C should work. If you are below that range, keep adding Freon, if you are above you have to let some out. There are videos on youtube about how to recharge an A/C unit on a car watch it and take notes.

I suggest you measure static pressures to confirm the presence of some charge before adding more. If your charge is completely gone, you will want to evac your system first. Of course, if your system is empty, you do not want to do anything until you find the leak and fix it.

I have to chime in and say that my 99's A/C still works like new...not sure where my condenser came from but this is one of the neatest things about this car, that the A/C after all these years is still ice cold!